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Thursday, January 2, 2014

Welcome to Winter Spanks and A Writer's Naughty Thoughts, which seem to fit nicely together. We've got lots of great prizes to offer, in case you didn't know. You can find them all listed at Saturday Spankings, orSpanking Romance Reviews.

Today, I'm offering readers a treat. I've written a partial short story based on my characters from A Dom's Dilemma, which I'm calling "A Dom's Christmas " It actually occurs in January, after New Years, but the theme centers around Christmas decorations and their proper removal, and the title sort of has a nice ring to it, I think.

This short story is a belated holiday gift to my readers. A Christmas present all its own with, of course, some spanking. I'll give a brief set-up later. For now I want to talk about the prize I'm offering for this hop and what you as a reader need to do to enter.

For my prize, I'm offering a reader's choice of one of my eBooks available at Blushing Books. If you want more information....

1. Leave a comment below telling me if you like to be spanked and why or why not.

2. Make sure you also leave your e-mail address, or I will have no way to contact you if you win.

Easy Peasy, right?

As stated in the rules, a comment on my blog serves not only as an entry for my prize, but as an entry for the grand prize.

And now for "A Dom's Christmas." (You do not need to read this story to enter the hop, it's a gift.)

Brief set-up

Jim Evans and Kelly (Kellian Sarah Franklin) met in June and were married in October. They just spent their first Christmas together while sharing time with some close friends, and now it's time to return to the "real world."

Kelly marveled at how small crystal flakes turned their
backyard into a winter wonderland. She
loved the way snow fell in lacy waves of white and pressed her forehead
against the icy windowpane. Christmas was over, and the New Year had arrived
with fireworks and church bells tolling the hour of midnight. She always felt a little let down after the
holidays. Lonely. Jim returned to the station this morning after
a week off. Though she'd loved having
him with her those few days, Kelly knew how important police work was to him,
so she did her best not to cling like a homesick child when he got dressed to
leave.

He'd given her a deep kiss with the promise of later, then
telling her he should be home by six, he left the house around 8 AM. She expected him to walk through the door at
any moment when the phone rang.

"Sorry, darlin', but looks like I won't get back
until late. Don't wait up. You need your rest."

She reflexively patted her gently rounded tummy, which
had been noticeably growing since September. "I want to wait up for
you," she insisted, certain as the words slipped past her lips she'd be
out-voted.

"No. And
that's your Dom talkin', not your husband.
Disobey me, and there will be consequences, my lovely."

Her mouth curved in a half-smile. Since the doctor advised them she was
pregnant, Jim had been doubly protective of her. He wanted a boatload of kids,
and wasn't about to take any chances with her health or well-being, especially
when she carried one of his offspring.
The few spankings he'd administered since then had been painful, but
brief. Just firm enough to make his point. And their more playful, kinkier games had been
sorely curtailed.

In some
ways, he treated her like a fragile, little girl he expected to obey him without
question. Even their lovemaking had taken on a vanilla flavor. Kelly wanted more, but didn't know how to tell
her dominant lover he was being too gentle with her. She liked slow and easy
all right, except sometimes she longed for hard and fast. However, whenever she'd attempted to
communicate her desire, he'd pulled back, assumed a more aggressive, inflexible
position and reminded her they had another to think of now. True, but how about her needs? They hadn't vanished the second she'd conceived.

"What sort of consequences?" she asked,
lowering her voice to a silky purr.

He paused for a moment, then growled, "Painful ones."
The promise was delivered in a deeper
register, which created a flutter in Kelly's lower region. "You haven't
been sleeping well, so I want you in bed early tonight. What're you plannin' for dinner?"

Jim normally did the cooking for them, and Kelly didn't
like eating alone, so she shrugged. Realizing
he wouldn't appreciate the gesture if he'd seen it, she added, "I don't
have much of an appetite tonight, so maybe some tea and toast."

"Tea and toast's not dinner, Kelly. It's a snack.
We've got leftover chicken in the fridge. Make yourself a sandwich at least."

"Okay."

"After you've eaten, you may watch TV or listen to music,
but I want you in bed. Lights out no
later than nine, young lady. Hear me?"

"Yes, Sir," she replied quietly. Despite the small thrill his dominant stance
aroused within her, his absence left an aching void. And sometimes listening and obeying were two
different things.

"That's the response I wanted to hear. I gotta go. You sure you're all right, darlin'? You're soundin' a bit off."

"I'm fine. I
just miss you."

"Miss you, too.
Now, fix yourself a sandwich, and get into bed. That's an order."

"Yes, Sir," she murmured with a smile. He worried about her, but she was too
restless to lie down. She needed to do
something. Something productive. Something Jim would appreciate after he gave
it some thought, even if he didn't see the benefit short term.

"Good girl.
Night."

"Night," Kelly repeated. As she hung up the phone, she looked around
her. Their Christmas tree decorations sparkled
back at her with merry insouciance. She
could make a start by putting them away.
She was dressed for it at least. The
pink sweats she wore were hardly sexy, but her expanding waistline needed more
room than her regular clothes provided.

She sized up the task in her mind. As pretty as they were, no seasonal decorations
should stay out all year, and Jim would be busy for a while. Six o'clock.
He didn't say she couldn't do other things before she went to bed. Besides, as long as she was lying down when
he got home; he wouldn't know the difference.
It's not like he had her monitored.
Uneasy with the thought, Kelly glanced about the room. The man was a detective, so installing a
hidden camera would be child's play for him, but such tactics reflected a lack
of trust, and Jim trusted her. Finally. She'd almost lost that fragile bond with him
when she'd lied a few months back, so she promised she'd always tell him the
truth, even if the admission got her in trouble. That meant she wouldn't lie, but she didn't
intend to volunteer the information, either.
With a final glance at the wintry scene outside, she twisted her long
blond hair into a braid and strode into the kitchen to fix her chicken
sandwich.

The meal helped restore her energy and gave her
focus. Hands on her hips, she stared at
their twinkling tree. Christmas had been
a magical time, but after the stroke of midnight even Cinderella had to return
to sweeping the fireplace.
Unfortunately, Jim kept the storage boxes in the attic, which only had a
small pull ladder as an access. He'd
refused to let her climb it when they were setting up the tree, telling her the
flimsy rails weren't stable enough, and yet the wooden construction accepted
his two-hundred pound, muscled frame without a creak or a groan. Good lord.
She was pregnant, not feeble.

Marching into the kitchen to fetch their step stool, she
placed the plastic steps under the spring-hinged hatch, climbed up and grabbed
the cord Jim had tucked away to keep it out of reach and temptation, and gave the
rope-like string a yank. The force of
the door coming down almost knocked her off the small stepladder. Carefully maneuvering the tricky contraption,
Kelly stepped off the stool, and bent forward to move it out of the way, when
the ladder leading into the attic slipped down its track and clipped her on the
head, knocking her flat.

Kelly lay sprawled on the floor as stars floated in an
out of her vision. She wasn't badly
hurt, but suspected she'd have a sizeable lump to show for her efforts. That's when the unmistakable jiggling of the
front door lock being opened reached her ears.
Shit.

"Kelly?"

She was starting to rise up on her elbows and knees, when
two strong hands encircled her waist and pulled her upright.

"What in the friggin' dickens do you think you're
doin', Kellian Sarah?" Jim punished
her for swearing, so he did his best to keep his language 'cuss free' as well.

"I thought I'd help put away the Christmas decorations,"
she murmured as she rubbed her sore head with a wince.

"Help?"
His question held a measure of doubt.
"Put your hands down. I
wanna take a look at the damage."
She obeyed and stood still under his inspection.

"You gotta a lump that's swellin' nicely. You hurt anyplace else?"

"No. Only my
pride."

"Hmm. Darlin',
your pride ain't the only thing that's gonna be hurtin' in a few minutes. First, though, I want to put an ice pack on that
thick skull of yours to get some of the swellin' down. Easy now," he urged, his hands steadying
her when she wobbled. "Dizzy?"

"A little."

He accepted her response without comment as he guided her
into the kitchen and directed her to sit at the table while he dumped some ice
into a baggie and wrapped it in a towel.
"Hold this in place," he ordered, placing the bag on her
head. "I'm gonna put that ladder
back up."

His footsteps were firmer than usual as he strode toward
the hall. Kelly knew from experience
that heavy steps meant a heavy hand would soon follow, and she squirmed in her chair.

"You said you wouldn't be back for hours," she
called out after him. "What brought
you home early?"

When he didn't answer, she suspected he was swearing at
her beneath his breath. Her backside
tingled.

On his return to the kitchen, he remained in the
door-frame with his hands on his slim, jean-covered hips. "I didn't like the sound of your voice
on the phone, so I came to check on you.
Right good thing I did, too."

"I thought I could manage it," she whispered
lamely.

"Uh uh."

She tilted her head up to find him scowling at her. "Well, I did."

He strode across the room to tower over her seated
form. Nothing like a lean, angry Texas
Dom to make a sub feel smaller than dirt.
"Not the point, darlin'.
What did I say about the attic ladder?"

Kelly knew exactly where this conversation would take
them, but she didn't hesitate to answer with the truth. "You said it wasn't safe for me to climb."

"Right. So,
why did you suppose I tucked the cord to it out of your reach?"

A small grin teased at the corner of his lips. So, he wasn't furious enough she couldn't
make him smile, but she didn't imagine even a laugh right now would save her
butt.

"I'm sorry?" she attempted.

"Uh uh."

"Not good enough?"

"Not by a long shot." He stepped forward to check her head. "Swellin's gone down a bit, I think. Can you stand?"

She regarded him through lowered lashes. "What if I say no?"

He shrugged.
"I'll carry you into the bedroom and lay you down on the bed."

"And then?"

"And then I'll roll you onto a pillow and take my
belt to your disobedient backside."

She winced.
"And if I say I can walk?"

"We'll walk to the bedroom together and I'll give
you a choice. Lap or bed. Hairbrush or belt."

She curled her fingers around his long, blunt-tipped
ones, relieved when he didn't pull away.
"What about using your hand instead?" she ventured

"You tryin' to negotiate a lighter sentence with
me?"

Lifting her head, she gazed into his dark, coffee-brown
eyes. "Yes, Sir."

"You think that's wise given how I feel about
toppin' from the bottom?"

"No, Sir. But
I can't help at least asking the question."

"Yeah? Well,
I doubt my hand is up to the task I've got in mind for your impertinent posterior. Now, which will it be? Walk or carry?"

Kelly winced again.
"Walk with assistance?"

"Fine."
He removed the ice pack from her head and placed a hand under her elbow
to help her to her feet, then with one arm wrapped firmly about her waist he
escorted her into the bedroom.
"Time to pick your position, darlin'. Which'll it be? Lap or bed?"

Though she preferred the intimacy of his lap, the angle
would be more uncomfortable and she hated the hairbrush. However, she was no great fan of the belt,
either. At least she could hold on to
him if she lay across his knees. Taking
a deep breath, she made her choice.
"Lap."

He regarded her for a long moment. "You feelin' dizzy at all right
now?"

A wash of guilt flowed through her for causing him
unneeded concern and worry, despite the nobleness of her intentions, so she tried
to reassure him. "No. My head doesn't even hurt anymore. It was a stupid accident."

"You won't get any argument from me on the stupid
part, but the accident would have been avoided if you'd obeyed me, which means
I need to teach you a harsh lesson on the folly of disobedience. Now strip while I get things ready."

Only too well-acquainted with the routine, Kelly slowly
removed her comfy sweatpants, panties and top while he snatched a pillow from
the bed, then picked up the dreaded hairbrush from his dresser before he strode
back to her. "Chair," he
indicated with the brush.

She reluctantly took her position on the right, and lay
across his pillow-covered knees when he gave the signal. Though she wasn't looking forward to this
punishment, she accepted her actions were deserving of his disapproval. His left arm curled about her waist, pinning
her in close to the hard plane of his stomach.

"We'll do this until I'm convinced you've learned
your lesson. With each swat, I want you
to call out the number and say 'I'm sorry I disobeyed you.' Call out 'pear' if you need a break, and I'll
stop long enough for us to have a chat.
You clear on your part?"

"Yes, Sir," Kelly replied with a sniff. His disappointment was palpable, and that alone
brought tears to her eyes. Jim's
punishments were painful, but not unbearable.
What she found unbearable was the knowledge she'd angered him. "I only wanted to help," she added
pitifully.

"Finding you on all fours beneath a ladder is not
helpful. I swear you took two years off
my life when I spotted you sprawled on the floor." The moment those words were out of his mouth,
the wooden brush descended with enough force to push a cry through Kelly's throat.

"One. I'm
sorry I disobeyed you, Sir," she dutifully repeated.

"I am, too," he replied as the brush landed
again.

"Ow!
Two. I'm sorry I disobeyed you,
Sir."

"You could have been seriously hurt," he
answered along with another swat. Kelly
repeated her words with each stroke while he provided her with the reasons he considered
this punishment long overdue.

By the fifth smack, Kelly's butt burned and tears were
flowing non-stop. By the tenth, she was
gripping his leg, kicking and crying heavily.
Her bottom had grown a lot more sensitive over the past few months, and
he wasn't cutting her any slack. When
the fifteenth stroke fell she sobbed out, "Oh, God, Jim. I'm so sorry.
I won't try to climb that lousy ladder again. I promise.
Please stop!"

"Count," he prompted, though it sounded like he
spoke through gritted teeth.

"I didn't mean to upset you. I was hoping you'd be pleased to find the
chore taken care of."

The brush fell with another quick volley of five, which
didn't give her enough time to breathe, let alone say the words he
required. "Give me the count. Now, Kelly."

"Twenty!" she cried out in a near scream. "Pear.
Please, stop.

He tucked the brush under his thigh and lightly rubbed
her sore hindquarters. "I swear,
woman. Sometimes you tick me off faster
than a polltaker with a clipboard. You are
far more important to me than a living room cleared of holiday decorations. Whatever would make you think I'd approve of you
doin' this even if you hadn't been hurt?"

"You work so hard," she managed between sobs. "I thought you'd be relieved to
find the job already done." Kelly
started bawling once she realized how badly she'd messed things up.

Jim continued his light stroking to ease her. "Hush now. I'm not pleased you disobeyed me, but I'm not
angry, either. Your heart may have been
in the right place, but your brain took a vacation."

She snorted at that, then gave a soft murmur of
pleasure. His gentle caresses eased some
of the soreness, which created a different need within Kelly. She lifted her backside into his palm, earning
herself another smack. A light one with
his hand this time. "Ow."

"Pushin' your butt upwards is a signal you want
more, not less."

"I do want more, but not swats."

"Yeah? Well,
I'm thinkin' you should sleep in the guest bedroom tonight as further
punishment for your thoughtlessness. Maybe
next time you'll use your God-given intelligence first."

"No!"
Kelly instantly protested and tried to rise, but Jim's arm kept her locked
in position. "Please. I'm truly sorry for worrying you, and I realize
I should have heeded your advice, but please don't shut me out of our bed. I don't sleep well when we're apart."

"Yeah, I know, and it's the only reason I'll
relent. You need a minimum of eight
hours rest." His hand hadn't ceased
running along her back and thighs, but he had yet to touch her where she ached
for the press of his fingers.

When she spread her legs wider in invitation, he gave her
another light smack. So, he knew what
she wanted, but chose to deny her. With
a sigh of disappointment, Kelly lowered her head and did her best to submit to
his will.

After the single hard swat, the brush played a warning
tap on her thighs before it stroked the lower curve of her bottom." Kelly drew air between her teeth as the
nerves of her already sore backside started prickling again.

"I'm beginnin' to think I've been too easy on your
butt, if you're eager to sass me like that while you're still draped over my
knees for punishment. Perhaps I should
concentrate on areas a bit more sensitive."

Oops!Stupid
runaway tongue. "I'm
sorry. It's just…."

"Go on. I'm
listenin'."

"Could I sit up while we have this
conversation?"

"No. I like
you where you are. So, say your
piece."

Kelly sighed. This
would either be a huge mistake on her part, or create a better understanding
between them. "Sometimes, I don't
want you to be so gentle with me."

"You think I was bein' gentle?" She could hear the incredulous note in his
question, and was tempted to laugh.

"No, not the spanking. I understand what I did wrong, and why you
punished me, but when we make love….
Sometimes I want you to take me like you can't bear to be anywhere else
but inside me. Like you need to claim me
and my pleasure in a way that leaves no doubt I belong to you."

"You got any doubts now?"

"No.... I'm
not saying this right. I want you to
pound into me until I scream out in pleasure.
I want to experience pure animalistic, no holds barred, sex. I won't break, Jim. I promise."

"You sayin' I've been leavin' you wantin'?"

She tried to rise again, and this time he let her up,
though he kept a protective hand at her waist, so she shifted to sit on his lap. Ouch. Even a soft, feather pillow didn't offer her well-heated
posterior much comfort at this point, but she had no wish to be anywhere
else. Placing a kiss against his cheek,
she murmured, "No. You've never
left me unsatisfied in any way. But
sometimes I want to feel as though your desire for me makes you lose
control. That you want me so much you
can't help yourself." She knew her
request wouldn't be easy for him, since Jim was a man who prided himself on
self-control.

He regarded her for a long moment, then cupping her
cheeks in his palms; he leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers. Her fingers clutching his shoulders, Kelly
met his kiss with enthusiasm. She loved
this man with all her heart, and wanted him to know it. In fact, she was determined to prove how much
right now, despite the way he'd warmed her bottom on this cold winter's night,
or perhaps even because of it.

Now, leave a comment, then go visit the other great blogs participating in this hop.

Ooh, Kelly has some spunk- I love that in a heroine. That was a great story. The question do I like to be spanked and why. I don't think I need to answer the first part - it's pretty much on record all over the place! The why though, Ah, because it's so hot and delicious.

oh I love Jim :) That's so sweet at the end when Kellie's struggling to let him know her needs.Yes, I definitely enjoy a spanking- although I think I almost enjoyed my Master's delight more at the sound the new brush made when He used it on me

I enjoyed the story very much! Thanks for the gift Kathryn! I dont think that I would like to be spanked but on the other hand I would gladly deliver spankings in a very sensual and erotic manner. thecoverartisan@gmail.com

Can I just tell you how much I love them together? Super sweet and sexy as hell, my belly was all funny when he was giving her the choices.

I like to be spanked but we've only ever done erotic spanking. I am curious what a disciplinary one would be like. My husband bought me a cane for Christmas...that I don't want for discipline...it hurts, even for me!!

Me? No I hate it. *grins* Okay, so glad I'm not Pinocchio. My nose would be growing. I never thought about it growing up. I had other fantasies that I acted on. I was in my thirties before I got spanked for the first time and it was like a huge light going on. OMG I LOVE IT! The sting, the blow, the sit spot. Add leather and this girl is in outerspace. :D

Loved reading more about these two! And yes, I do like spanking, sometimes for stress release and sometimes just for kicks and sometimes because I think I'll go mad if I don't get one. Johnnamaquire@gmail.com

Thanks for the update story on Jim and Kelly. Loved their story in a Dom's Dilemma and now they have a Christmas story. Spanking is just in my fantasy life (love it there ;) but not in reality. Oh well better some place than none at all. Thanks for the gift.rameyer.nmb@gmail.com

Oh my gosh, Kathryn, I just loved this story so much! Thank you! I haven't read A Dom's Dilemma and after reading this I know that I really need to! I both love to be spanked and love to hate to be spanked. It depends on the kind of spanking. corinnealexander4@gmail.com

I loved A Dom's Dilemma. It was great to interact with the characters again. In answer to your question I do liked to be spanked. It truly fulfills something deep inside of me. The sex afterwards is always red hot. laurah2727@yahoo.com

I loved A Dom's Dilemma so I'm thrilled you gave them more screen time!

I have a love/hate relationship with spanking. I think I agree with Celeste that I much prefer writing about it than being spanked. It just happens that I can't control spankings in R/L no matter how hard I try!

Wnderful sexy story with one of my favorite couples from your books. Your question... Do I like to be spanked? LOL hahaha Does Maddie Taylor like to be spanked. ;) Ah, KRB, you are so funny. maddietaylorromance@gmail.com

I enjoy being spanked when it's play, not when it's for discipline, although I love the closeness and intimacy with a discipline spanking and that the 'issue' that led to it is now behind us (so to speak!).

Great story...another one I hadn't read the original story but I'm definitely going to be looking it up! Yes, I like to be spanked for many reasons but I think the main one for me is feeling like someone cares enough to correct me. (It's the mental part that is really big for me.)kfemme at sbcglobal dot net

As much as I'd love to tell you if I enjoy spanking, I think I'll just leave you wondering (hehehe). I can't wait to read your books. Thanks to blog hops, I get to discover great new authors like yourself.

God how I love your stories!! That was wonderful, loved reading about them again. My husband and I have just started tip toeing into spanking. We do erotic, not discipline. I love it--been wired that way forever. bhorton1@rochester.rr.com

I am not a fan of Kelly after reading Arrested by Love, but reading this made me think maybe she can be redeemed for me in A Dom's Dilemma. Gonna have to check it out. Yes I enjoy being spanked. It turns me on.

Your question made me giggle. Isn't that why we're all here? Surely nobody would say no! i don't want to be spanked for a real reason or punishment. Just a concocted situation that I need to be punished for.

Aww! What a great couple! Definitely liking them! Cant wait to read more about em! Thank you for sharing! In life, ive never really been spanked, i dont think i would like it. Its on the list to try tho. lol In stories, i cant get enough! lol Thanks!shadowluvs2read(at)gmail(dot)com

Thanks so much to all who commented. Kelly and Jim are two of my favorite characters, and ones I'm most likely to write another book about. Kelly gets into a lot of trouble, and though she has issues, she has a good sense of humor along with a slightly wicked tongue. Jim is a patient, understanding Dom, but he'll only take so much before Kelly earns "lap time." All the same, he gives her a lot more leeway than most Doms give their subs, and he lets her know that as well.

I'm in the process of picking a winner, and will post the name here when I have. In the meantime, check out Saturday Spankings for the list of grand prize winners.

The winner on my blog who gets to chose from a list of my books is Chelle Author. Congratulations Chelle, I'll be contacting you by e-mail. And thanks to everyone who entered. My selection was randomly generated from my commenters by Random.Org. Hope to see you all next year, as well as some new faces.

About Kathryn

Kathryn R. Blake has been writing romantic fantasies for over twenty years.
In addition to her writing, Kathryn enjoys reading, traveling (London especially), crewel needle work, and playing with graphics on her web site.

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~Corbin's Bend~

Corbin's Bend Revamp

Corbin's Bend isn't dead, it's simply being revised and issued in a simpler format. The individual books from previous seasons will no longer be available for sale by themselves, but all will be made available in collections. In addition, Blushing Books intends to open up the series for more books. I will advise as soon as I know anything more.